SPORTS BETTING
US – 20.5m Americans to bet $1.8bn on 2022 FIFA World Cup
By Phil - 15 November 2022
20.5m American adults, eight per cent, plan to bet a total of $1.8bn on the 2022 FIFA World Cup, according to the American Gaming Association’s (AGA) inaugural survey on World Cup wagering.
Unlike other major events like the Super Bowl and March Madness that have significant casual betting components, including bracket or squares contests, the vast majority of World Cup bettors (72%) plan to place traditional bets either online, with a bookie or at a physical sportsbook.
Of World Cup bettors 9.8m, 48 per cent, plan to place a bet online, 4.7m, 23 per cent, plan to place a bet at a physical casino sportsbook, 4.1m, 20 per cent, plan to place a bet with a bookie whilst 3.5m, 17 per cent plan to place a bet as part of a paid pool or fantasy contest.
The survey also found the majority, 78 per cent, of World Cup bettors say it is important for them to place their bets legally.
“As the first World Cup with widespread availability of legal sports betting, this will certainly be the most bet-upon soccer event ever in the U.S.,” said AGA Senior Vice President Casey Clark. “With more than half of all American adults having access to legal betting options in their home market, legal sports betting will deepen American fan engagement in the most-watched sporting event in the world.”
“As the World Cup kicks off, anyone getting in on the action should have a game plan to bet responsibly. That means setting a budget, keeping it fun, learning the odds and playing with legal, regulated operators,” Clark added.
Morning Consult conducted the online survey on behalf of the AGA between Nov. 3-5, 2022, among a national sample of 2,213 adults. The data were weighted to approximate a target sample of adults based on age, race/ethnicity, gender, educational attainment and region. The margin of error is +/-2 percent and greater among subgroups. Bettors include those who expect to place a bet online, with a bookie, with a casino sportsbook, in a pool or squares contest, or casually with family or friends.
31 states and Washington, D.C. currently feature live, legal sports betting markets, with five additional legal markets awaiting launch. Legal wagering is currently available to 132 million Americans in their home states compared to only 10 million during the 2018 World Cup, when only three states featured live, legal markets.
